Let's Talk About Oils

Currently I am on a quest to use only the healthiest oils in my food. I look at everything! Anything that goes in my grocery cart has been closely inspected and there are zero unhealthy oils involved.

Here’s what I know, and I wanna break it down simply. Generally you are going to be looking at saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. It is important to determine what you are going to be using your oil for. Is it going to be used as a dressing on a cold raw salad? Or are you planning on lightly sautéing some veggies? Or, will you be baking and grilling with your oil? Thinking about how hot you will be getting the oil is very important because each oil has a different smoke point. All this means is that each oil will literally begin to smoke at different temperatures. Once they begin to smoke, the oils start to oxidize and breakdown

forming toxic fumes and free radicals which we do not want to consume. Saturated and monounsaturated fats are generally more heat tolerant, whereas polyunsaturated fats are not. Another thing you want to look for in an oil is the Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio. Both are good but we generally consume far too much Omega-6 versus Omega-3, which can cause inflammation in our body. I generally look for 1:2 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids.

Here are some common oils I like:

• Coconut oil - mainly composed of saturated fat so it has a fairly high heat tolerance with a smoke point at roughly 177C/350F. It also contains lauric acid which contains antiviral and antibacterial properties.

• Extra virgin olive oil - composed of mainly monounsaturated fats and is high in Omega-9, which is believed to help lower your risk for heart disease as well as assist in cancer prevention. Its smoke point is approximately 160C/320F so it is not recommended for high heat cooking. Best used for low to moderate heat cooking only.

• Avocado oil - One of my favorites for high heat cooking with a smoke point of approximately 271C/520F. Similar to olive oil it is composed of primarily monounsaturated fats. Avocado oil has a 1:12 Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acid ratio and is rich in vitamin E.

The seed and vegetable oils below can be highly processed and I do not recommend using them, especially for heat cooking. They are also high in Omega-6 fatty acids and, for me, do not have the 1:2 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids that I prefer:

• Corn oil - 1:83 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids
• Canola oil - 1:2 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids, along with 56% Omega-9, however most are GMO
• Soybean oil - 1:8 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids, however most are GMO
• Sunflower oil - 1:40 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids
• Cottonseed oil - 1:54 ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids

There are many more types of oils out there and you really do have to do your research. Hopefully this will get you started and shed some light on the good (and not so good) oils available so that you feel comfortable safely cooking, and consuming, healthy good for you cooking oils. Until next time...!